Technology Addiction Treatment Centres Open in India

India is the latest country to open treatments centres exclusively for the purpose of treating technology addiction. This spring, Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma opened the Services for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) Clinic in Bangalore with the aim of combating technology addiction. This summer, a similar clinic opened in Delhi, an NGO aimed at treating technology addiction in children.

The rapid increase of digital technology in India over the past year has lead to unprecedented levels of addiction, which Dr. Sharma suggests stems from a lack of awareness about healthy habits with technology. Given the country’s population, as well as the proliferation and availability of technology (in March 2014, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India reported an increase of over one million mobile phone subscriptions from the previous month), things are likely to get worse before they get better in India.

Treatment centres such as SHUT are not uncommon in China, South Korea, and Taiwan, where technology addiction is treated far more seriously. However, help can be found if you know where to look. Historically, treatment for gaming and technology addiction has occurred either on an outpatient basis or embedded within a broader rehabilitation clinic for addiction. As cultural and societal levels of dependence increase, however, stand-alone facilities such as SHUT may become the rule rather than the exception.